


Memengle

by AleesShu



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), F/F, F/M, M/M, Minor Adam/Shiro (Voltron), Minor Allura/Romelle (Voltron), Pansexual Matt Holt, kinda? a college au?? hardly tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-30
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-07-20 20:04:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16144514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AleesShu/pseuds/AleesShu
Summary: Memengle is a play on words- Meme and mingle. But as a reference to the elderly pronouncing meme as me-me, memengle is meant to be pronounced me-mingle. So then what is it? A dating site created by Matthew Holt on a dare, or in another phrasing "Memengle is a dating site for meme lovers who don’t want to hassle with the chances of meeting someone who can’t take a fucking joke."Lance is desperate for a date and Matt runs a dating site. Simple science.





	1. The Dating Site Solution

Lance would have to admit that he was jealous of Hunk for once. In all his time knowing him, he’s never been jealous because they were basically one person sharing a life. They did everything together as best friends do. They’d cried through Marvel movies; they’d binged all of Star Trek together (from older TV to newer movies); they’d fought over Mario Kart many times but stayed friends.

  
  
In the third grade when he found himself a girlfriend in the lunchroom, Hunk congratulated them and offered up his cupcake for the two of them to split. The awkward 6th grade dance when they both got into huge trouble for unplugging electronics here and there, including the DJ’s set which made the room go pitch black and all this kids freaked out and ran. Lance eventually managed to convince the principal to only give him punishment because Hunk didn’t want his parents upset with him and he dragged him into it anyway...

 

All those times when they visited the other’s houses and it got to the point Lance’s mom called Hunk her ‘4th son’ and Hunk’s moms called him their second son… yeah it was a little bit of a mess. During the holidays the Garretts and McClains always came together to throw wonderful parties (and with three moms all coming together in the kitchen with cultured treats it was more or less a feast.) So either of them could solidly say that they were basically brothers. But still, they had the highest respect for each other and wouldn’t ever wish to steal the other’s life.

  
  
That wasn’t the case now as Lance's fingers hovered over the blue ‘Go’ button on his IPhone’s keypad. He hated the fact he couldn’t just continue his search, but as he’d rested his head back on the pillows while craning his neck at an odd angle so his eyes could drift along the popcorn ceiling he’d grown to know so well at times like this when he fought the urge to cry, he was overwhelmed with jealousy for what Hunk had. It prevented him from searching the internet because it was just too unfair. Did he really have to sink this low? He could keep trying to meet someone in his Graphics class like he’d dreamed of.

  
Lance certainly wasn’t a picky person but apparently, it was too much to ask for someone who wasn’t a jerk or self-absorbed (which he often times found falling into the same category.) He only had three simple requirements for his lover. 1, be a decent, respectful person, with a somewhat similar moral compass. 2, look appealing _WITH_ him (he didn’t care how someone looked, he just wanted to look good together.) 3, Enjoy memes. It was that simple. But for some reason, any kind of requirements were too many.

 

This entire thing started because Hunk met this girl in the engineering department during a late night of hastily finished projects done at the very last second. She had to go through Lance to get to Hunk though because no matter how expertly practised and super effective the trademark Garrett puppy dog eyes were, they were no match for a best friend who had to approve of all potential love interests before things could go any further.

  
But she passed with ease. When Hunk brought Shay to dinner for the three of them so Lance could meet her, he was skeptical about feeling like a third wheel. It actually turned out that she was super kind and relatively soft spoken. That was when Lance saw the burning fire of passion in her eyes, one that he figured could only be for getting his approval because no doubt that Hunk spilled the beans about the whole dinner thing.

  
  
By the end of the night, he was in stitches from expertly timed jokes and sarcastic comments. Yeah, Shay blended in with them perfectly and since then Hunk and her had been dating. They still got along, but because of the close-knit family their friendship ran, both Hunk’s parents and his own constantly bugged him about finding someone like “Hunk did.” He still had another month until he had to visit family right? He could keep trying to meet someone at school, couldn’t he?

 

No, he knew all the people in his graphics and fashion classes, plus all the people on his swim team and Lance could certainly say he wasn’t impressed. He knew all the baristas at little cafe on campus and nobody there impressed him either (and besides there was some sort of weird “you pay my salary and tip well so I always make sure to have your latte ready every morning” relationship going on with every single person there.)

  
Finally, Lance looked down at his phone again, with Hunk’s words echoing to him “You could always try a dating site as a last resort.” He confirmed his search and off to the races it was. Within seconds he had links to probably 100 dating sites. Each of them no doubt swearing that they'd be the site to find his forever match. Considering that Lance was a broke college student and hated the idea in the first place, he could pretty easily eliminate any sites that required him to pay which (pretty shamefully) took it down about half.

  
The rest he alternated between looking at reviews and contemplating if the dating site shame was any better than the shame of his family nagging him.  
  
  
  
3 o’s in and 2 energy drink-coffee amalgamations later and he found something that piqued his interest. The blue underlined words (word?) simply said ‘Memengle’ and the description of the site in a simple phrase was ‘Meet the meme of your dreams.’ With another sip of his drink, he clicked muttering, “Ah, what the hell...” under his breath with a shrug.

  
It wasn’t paid as far as he could tell. A display of both old and new memes cycled through behind the big lettered ‘Memengle’ name. As he scrolled down, the about was displayed. ‘Memengle is a dating site for meme lovers who don’t want to hassle with the chances of meeting someone who can’t take a fucking joke.’

  
  
Okay, call Lance intrigued, he chuckled about the sheer passive-aggressive aura the text gave. Down a little further and it gave the generic ‘Log In or Sign Up’ boxes. Considering this was the first one he actually found himself even slightly amused with, he clicked to sign up. it was simple enough; e-mail, name, age, gender, username, password, confirm password.

  
  
Lance got stuck on the username because that was the first thing you’d see besides maybe ‘Lance’ and ’20.’ He chose to go with a combination of his favourite colour and a nickname that Hunk had given him a little while back. ‘BlueSharpShooter’

  
As soon as he sent in the confirmation that those were the details that he was satisfied with using, it gave him the options to set up a profile. He’d gotten to this stage a few times but they always asked questions like ‘what’s your dream date?;’ ‘what’s your dream vacation?’ et cetera. This however only had three input boxes. A bio, sexuality, and a checklist of memes. He entered in the first two and scrolled down the (surprisingly) very long meme list. When he reached the bottom, he was met with a button titled ‘Check All’.

 

Lance hit it without hesitation. Unbeknownst to him, after checking the memes you like, a pop-up with memes the partner couldn’t like would appear, but checking all memes meant there wasn’t a single kinda that Lance hated. His profile was finally set up, and asked to download an app. It took him to the app store, he downloaded it, logged in, and chose to explore.

  
There were three pages. Messages, profile, and memes. He clicked memes and on his screen appeared an explore page that he could compare to Instagram’s, but instead of posts from all different things, it was just all memes. For the first time in trying all this dating site crap, he smiled and tapped on the first one.

 

* * *

  
  
Matt honestly couldn’t believe his eyes when his phone showed the notification of ‘You’ve got a match!’ “Hey Shiro,” Matt floated his phone in front of his face, “look at this.” Shiro scanned it over before turning to him with an eyebrow raised.

 

“Okay, and?” Matt retracted his phone and continued looking at it.

 

“Ever since I created that app so I could find someone who actually likes memes, not a single person has matched. I’ve stalked the user database to see how many people signed up and it was at least like 100 people a month ago, but not a single person.”  
  
“So send a message if this is so rare. You don’t wanna miss the chance do you?” He opened the app and looked to actually see if it was real. But right there in messages ‘BlueSharpShooter’ and in grey text ‘Send this person a message!’ Matt opened it and smiled. This was real. Someone who checked all memes in the like category. Someone who he might be able to get along with. Matt had to make a good impression right? This was his only chance and if he screwed this up he might as well die alone or spend the rest of his life flirting without a real goal.

 

**McMattyMeme:** Hello~

**McMattyMeme:** Wanna know what my shirt’s made out of?

 

**BlueSharpShooter:** Boyfriend material.

 

 

**BlueSharpShooter:** I’ve tried that line a million times…

**BlueSharpShooter:** Pro tip

**BlueSharpShooter:** Don’t use it around moms, they have a psychic knowledge of the exact breakdown of your shirt

**BlueSharpShooter:** and they can and will shut you down and ruin your chances or flirting more than resorting to pick-up lines already do.

 

**McMattyMeme:** Uhhh thanks

**McMattyMeme:** That was kinda specific

 

**BlueSharpShooter:** It has happened twice to me

**BlueSharpShooter:** I am a well versed member of the pickup line community and I’ve made my share of mistakes.

 

**McMattyMeme:** that’s a constant mood

 

Matt was cursing himself for being so informal… but at the same time this person was just easy to talk to. They weren’t appalled by Matt’s crappy pick-up line choice, they just joked about it. That’s why Matt was most excited. He hadn’t scared away the match and the other person liked pickup lines. Shiro could clearly see Matt’s dumb smile adorning his face, Matt didn’t try to hide it at all. He wasn’t the type of person to hide his smiles.

 

“Something good happen?” Shiro asked, half joking.

 

“Dude…” Matt barely whispered out.

 

“Bro? You okay, bro?” Shiro responded to Matt’s one word nonsense. Matt just nodded his head yes while clutching his chest. Shiro knew he was joking and attempting to look like an anime character (as he too often did.) “Seriously though, what’s got you so happy? I know you got a match but most people don’t overreact like that.”

 

“Shiro, I overreact at literally everything. Remember the first time I met Allura? That time Pidge invented a robot and I called you screaming about how she’s so talented? I’m like, king of overreacting kingdom at this point.” Matt shot an annoyed glare his way, leaning forward off the wall they were currently settled on.

 

“I’m not going to say that you’re wrong because I honestly can’t.” Shiro shrugged and continued to swipe down on his phone. Matt wasn’t entirely sure what he was looking at but based the on the fact he would double-tap the screen every so often he was probably stalking a tag on Instagram. He turned back to his own phone, but instead of typing another message he looked at the profile.

 

His name was Lance, he was 20. He hadn’t uploaded a profile picture yet, but then again he probably only signed up a little bit ago and hadn’t picked one yet. It crossed Matt’s mind, very briefly, that he could be getting catfished, but he was a hopeful person and dismissed the thought right away. At least for now he wouldn’t try to be a pessimist. His brain wouldn’t win today.

 

“Shiro! Matt!” Both of them looked up at their names.

 

“Oh, hey ‘lura. Took you long enough.” She stuck her tongue out at the brunette.

 

“Well, sorry I actually want to survive this school year with a good grade.”

 

Shiro quirked a brow at her, “Allura you have better grades than either of us, yet you’re still trying to get extra credit?”

 

“Yeah, yeah. No need to mock me for it. My highschool habits still haven’t worn off after 4 years.” Allura planted herself in front of the two boys with a huff. After Matt was done with the initial greeting, he went back to smiling.

 

“What’s up with him?” She pointed her thumb in Matt’s direction, looking at Shiro expectantly.

 

“He’s had success with his little dating site.”

 

“Hey, I am right here you guys! And may I remind you that it was your drunken dare to make that ‘little dating site.’ Let a man be happy in peace.” Allura and Shiro both shared a knowing look. The look that meant they’d probably hear about this on a weekly basis at the very least. The look that meant that Matt was probably going to be asking them often about pick-up lines to use on the poor unlucky soul receiving his affections.

 

“Matt, as a professional in being your friend, I’m obligated to tell you that neither Shiro or I will let you be happy in peace for as long as you live. Those are the rules of friendship.” Allura leaned forward, touched her finger to his nose in a way that had some sort of malicious intent hidden deep behind it.

 

“Yeah, I know, but I can hope.”


	2. Blame the Butterflies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first date <3

Matt and Lance had been talking for a little under a week but they’d decided to meet up at Cafe Altea. It was run by Allura’s Uncle, Coran, so it was always a good choice for first dates. Not that Matt ever got that many to begin with. When Matt first suggested the idea of going on a date, Lance was all for it but didn’t know anywhere. Matt was literally sitting in the cafe at the time so he suggested it.

 

In the past week, Lance had also uploaded a profile photo. If it wasn’t enough that he liked memes and shitty pick-up lines, Lance was extremely attractive too.

 

“Hey, Matt! Quit daydreaming and get out here!” Allura yelled from behind the door. His reality was that it was the day before their first date and Shiro and Allura were helping him pick an outfit. Pidge was there too, just not helping with the clothes.

 

If she was, she’d probably throw a sweatshirt at him and call it good. “Okay, okay! I’m almost done!” He called back. Matt finished putting on the jacket they’d given him and opened the door. Shiro was sat on the floor while Allura was laying on his bed. She pushed up the mirror that they’d set on the floor.

 

His outfit was a dull army green jacket with various NASA patches on it. The shirt was a pastel orange and he had dark blue jeans. Cuffed of course, because how else would he display that he wasn’t heterosexual and this meeting wasn’t dudes being bros. Allura was scanning him up and down and Shiro joined in a glance.

 

“It’s casual, displays you’re a nerd, and most importantly that you’re gay. It gets my seal of approval.” Allura gave him a thumbs up after her assessment.

 

“I like it. It’s very… you.” Shiro took his turn in commenting.

 

“The only thing I’m worried about is this is 10 times better than how I usually dress. Like I get it’s a first date, but what’s the socially acceptable amount of dates before I stop trying?”

Allura counted something, mumbling as she thought. “When you welcome your date into your house for the first time. After that it’s pretty much down hill in terms of high expectations… I mean I think. That’s how I do it anyway.” Matt nodded along, absorbing the wisdom.

 

“Don’t listen to her Matt. You should always try to look decent and not like a dumpster fire that woke up 5 minutes ago and sprinted to class as fast as he could.” Shiro set his phone down, shooting a glare to Allura and Matt.

 

“Hey! That was one time Shiro! I had to stay up all night studying and I guess brain-dead 6am me doesn’t like setting alarms. It’s honestly just self-care.”

 

They all reached a silence. Matt walked toward the mirror, continuing to inspect himself and the outfit. He did have to admit, it _was_ attractive. But really, it took two other people to dress him appropriately. That was kind of a high standard to hold up for every date. He really did like the outfit. Especially the jacket.

 

Of course, leave it to Pidge to burst into his room at odd times though, as she did now. “MATT! I figured out your secret! After all these years I finally know how you’re so good at Killbot!” There was no secret. It was just the one game Pidge was never quite as good as him at, so a year or two ago, Matt told her that he had a secret, but refused to ever say what. It _was a secret._

 

“Oh, show me then.” Matt walked out of his room, following the smaller Holt to the living room.

 

Allura looked at Shiro, “You wanna make a bet he’s going to wear that outfit all day and call one of us tomorrow panicking about how it’s dirty?” Shiro smiled, he knew his best friend, and he knew that it was going to happen.

 

“$20 bucks and I’ll buy you a piece of cake if he doesn’t.”

 

* * *

  

Hunk was seated on a chair across from Lance. “Okay, let’s review what you know about this guy. Tell me about him.” Hunk pointed a finger at Lance.

 

“His name is Matt, he’s 22, and he never fucking learned how to read.” Lance was quick to quote. He saw the glare Hunk gave him. He hated when Hunk glared because Hunk was a kind and sweet soul that shouldn’t glare.

 

“I’m kidding dude! I’m just nervous. But he is named Matt and he is 22. He’s in college and he’s an astrophysics major. Uh-” Lance struggled a little to recall everything Matt had told him, “Pidge is his sister… and he has a dog named Bae-Bae. That’s it I think.” Matt didn’t say a whole lot about himself. “Now that we’re taking this serious, let’s also review conversation starters”

 

“Hunk! Dude! I’ve got this under control! I’m good at conversation and remembering things about people. It’ll be okay.” Lance leaned backward, fully stretching out across the couch.

 

“This is the first time you’ve been on a date in two years give or take. I just want it to go well. You can’t blame me for worrying.”

 

No, Lance really couldn’t. He’d been third wheeling for him and Shay since they started dating because he didn’t really have anything better to do. Hunk’s profile on social media had pictures of him and Shay on their dates and without fail, Lance was always in the background, usually making some weird face. Hunk tagged Lance every single time.  
  
“I’m just worried about my best friend. This is your chance dude!” Hunk smiled at him.

 

“I know- I know.” Lance swat his hand in the air at Hunk. “I’m glad you care but I don’t do that with you and Shay.”

 

Hunk quirked a brow at him. Was Lance being serious right now? “That’s because you’re always on our dates.”

 

“Right.”

 

* * *

 

Allura owed Shiro 20 bucks.  
  
She’d received a call from Matt about 20 minutes ago, him in the midst of a panic because somehow he managed to pass out wearing the outfit.  
  
“Matt, it’s fine. Are there any stains on it or did you spill something?”

_She was still trying to calm him down,_ **_20\. Minutes. Later._ **

 

Matt stopped talking for a good 30 seconds. Presumably to look at himself in the mirror.“I- not that I can see! But won’t I smell or something- I mean c’mon Allura I’ve gotta make a good impression. You know this!”

 

Allura groaned, “Matt, just put some damn deodorant on and you’ll be fine. For god’s sake… You know I owe Shiro 20 dollars because of you? I knew this would happen but I took a chance on you.”

 

“Did- did you guys seriously decide to bet on me being a disaster human being?” Matt asked, trying not to laugh at the absurdity. Honestly did Allura expect to win by betting he wouldn’t have something go wrong?

 

“Yes, I did! You’ve disappointed me Matt. Now, go make sure you smell decent and report back after your date.” Allura hung up, not even waiting for Matt’s response.  
  
Matt looked at his phone. _Really?_ He wasn’t exactly surprised at his friends, just a bit disappointed. Not because they bet on him but because they bet about something stupidly obvious. Everytime in the once a year event he had a date, this same scenario happened. Matt just got distracted a lot and he wasn’t _forgetful,_ per say, he was just busy with some new project- whether it was school related or not.

 

When in doubt, blame Pidge for distracting him.

 

He only had 30 minutes left until they were supposed to meet, so he probably had time for a shower. It was only a 15 minute walk to the cafe so as long as Matt didn’t get caught up in some Hamilton reenactment, he’d be a-okay.

 

It may come as a surprise to the general public, but he didn’t get caught up in some Hamilton reenactment. Which was notably a first for him. But finally, _finally,_ Matt managed to exit his apartment and head out to meet the possible love of his life.  
  
The walk gave him a lot of time to regret his life choices, overthink everything, and then develop a solid list of things he couldn’t or wouldn’t say on the date. Mostly consisting of embarrassing stories (that inevitably would be told by Shiro, Allura, Pidge, or his parents if things worked out well between them.)

 

Matt, upon seeing the familiar sign, was met with the unfamiliar feeling of butterflies in his stomach. _He was seriously about to go on a date. With a boy he’d met on a dating site he’d created…_ It was a little bit insane to think about; and as soon as he stepped into the cafe itself, it got even crazier. Matt knew was Lance looked like, but he didn’t want to be so obvious about it. So he stepped up to the counter to place an order.

 

“Hey, Romelle.” Matt waved to the barista. “Can I get my usual chai latte? I’m trying to look inconspicuous for a date… so…”

 

Romelle smiled at him, “Of course. I knew you’d be showing up eventually. Allura told me at dinner.” Romelle was quick to begin working on Matt’s coffee.

  
“How are things between you two? She’s always super busy with school isn’t she?” Matt knew first hand. He’d seen her room, and it was clean, sure, but every single surface had some form of paper or project covering it. The only thing saved was her floor and bed, which Matt guessed was just so she could crash at 2 am.

  
“Things are great between us, actually. I don’t know how she manages to have time to be my girlfriend, but she does.” Romelle was quick at her job (definitely not because Matt came in here practically every day to order the same thing.)

 

Matt paced around the counter, nervous. He heard the door ring but he didn’t look up to see who it was. Something just told him to wait until he had his drink to look up. Luckily, Romelle was almost finished with making it, so it wasn’t too long of a wait before he looked at his phone.

  
“Hello!” She quickly left to the side of the counter that the new customer was waiting at. “Welcome to Cafe Altea. What can I get you?” Romelle was always somehow cheerful, which was a good quality to have.

 

  
“Uh- a white chocolate hot cocoa with a shot of coffee, please.” He nervously laughed, “I’m meeting someone here and I’m kind of… panicking.”

 

Matt looked up. The stranger wasn’t such a stranger. _It was Lance, just casually, looking like a god._ He was wearing one of those colored sleeve shirts (blue, of course) and some jeans with a jacket casually tied around his waist. Matt had to seriously take a double-take between Lance and himself. Had it not been for Allura and Shiro he would’ve probably looked like a two day old donut.

 

Romelle looked between Matt and Lance, figuring that they were probably meeting each other. She smiled, “Sure. I’ll get that fixed up.” and off she was to the races, making Lance’s drink.

  
  
Lance looked around, just taking in the general vibe of the place. Matt was right about one thing, it was perfect for a first date. Speaking of, he looked around, trying to spot his date. Eventually, he located him to standing in a corner just next to the opposite end of the counter. Lance walked over, now standing just to the side of Matt. Casual conversation couldn’t hurt, right?

 

Well, no, it couldn’t. But Lance had the _perfect_ line to use on Matt. He just needed his drink to make it work.  
  
… so he waited. And without missing a beat, the second he received his coffee, he turned to Matt. “You know, my coffee is hot.” Lance watched as Matt looked up at him, “but you’re hotter.”

 

Matt smiled at the line, _there was no way this wasn’t Lance._ “How can you be so sure? I heard what you ordered but personally I’d hold on the sugar. You’re sweet enough for me.” He flirted back.

 

Lance laughed. “That was terrible. Matt, right?”

 

“The one and only. Well… there’s a lot of Matts but I’m the one you’re looking for.” Matt was just a little bit flustered. _Only a little._

 

Lance looked around, noticing a small booth next to a window. He pointed it out, “Why don’t we go sit over there?” Matt nodded in response, and followed Lance to the booth, sitting across from him. Lance was even cuter in person, tan skin, brown hair (that looked way too soft to not want to touch) and beautiful blue eyes. It really didn’t help that there were freckles running across Lance’s nose and cheeks.

 

Neither of them had a single clue about what to say though. When was honestly the last time either of them had been on a serious date? For Matt it was over a year ago and Lance had been on plenty of dates. Not his own of course, but plenty of dates. So all he had to do was copy Hunk and Shay from a year ago.

 

“So… how are you doing?” It was the only thing that Lance could think to ask at the minute.

 

Matt laughed, looking down at his cup. “I guess this is just as awkward for you as it is for me. To answer your question though, I’m doing fine. You?”

 

Lance put his hand behind his neck. “Yeah it is.” Damn his need for flirting. “Better now that you’re here.” He snapped finger guns at the man.

 

_So the date was going great._

 

Matt was already smiling like an idiot. Lance looked perfect and he just… was perfect. It wasn’t Lance completely though. Caused by him, yes, but still not completely Lance. His mind was still in shock from him getting a date with someone so similar but _so much better_ than him. Blame the butterflies for making him feel this way.

 

“Are you okay?” Lance asked.

 

Matt looked up to him, brown eyes meeting blue ones. “Yeah- yeah! Just nervous. You look stunning and I feel like a humble peasant that’s supposed to bowing to you because you’re some sort of god who just blessed my presence. I would like to say you’re Aphrodite in disguise but… you know I’m pan so I’d think you have changed form multiple times by now.” His cheeks had burned up.

 

Lance’s had too. “Y-You really think all of that?” He stuttered.

 

“I’ll be honest I was kind of in love with you before we even met. I fall in love really easy so when you showed minor interest in me and then for you to show up looking like you are… I just got really… really nervous… “

 

Lance reached across the table, putting his hand over Matt’s. Sure, it was bold and

slightly unconventional for him, but it felt like the right thing to do. He offered a smile for Matt. _And he truly thought that he was the nervous one._ Matt laughed slightly, He just couldn’t believe it.

 

“Sorry. This is a bad first date. I’m a disaster.” Matt confessed. He took a quick sip from his coffee, practically shaking now.

 

Lance chuckled.”Well, I’ve had worse. Oh! Like one time this girl took me on a first date where we went out by this lake and had a picnic in the forest and I was joking around... Short story shorter she chained me to a tree and stayed there until some cryptid hunter named Keith found me.”

 

_Okay that was kinda funny._ “That sounds like kidnapping, Lance.”

 

“I mean… is consensual kidnapping a thing? Cause most of the location was my idea she just also happened to chain me to a tree at the end. That could be seen at some weird kink you know.”

 

“I don’t know but it sounds like kidnapping. Did you press charges or anything?”

“No, Keith and I found her car had broke down about a mile away and she was waiting on her boyfriend to come save her. I figured that her having to explain why her car broke down near a common area for date spots would be enough revenge on it’s own.”

 

Matt went through a variety of facial emotions. Confusion, concern, happiness(?)- just to name a few. Lance seemed so calm about this… but he wouldn’t be surprised if it was just a while ago and it was a funny date story Lance liked to tell. That was to be determined some other time.

 

“So what about you Mathematics Holt. Have and horror first dates I can compare myself too?” Lance smirked, bringing his hand back to use in a flirty pose under his chin.

 

That one Matt had to actually think about. Disastrous first dates? “Ah- no not really.

My friends are really nice and give me a quota of one date per year where they choose the person. Usually it’s just dinner or coffee or something. I can say that you’re the most interesting of anyone… in a good way.”

 

It was _something._

 

Lance’s smirk turned to an innocent smile then to a pout where he was looking down to his coffee to avert Matt’s eyes.. “Can I be completely honest?”

 

“Of course you can.”

 

“I was sort of expecting this to be just… we met and spouted off some memes and became best buds right away with no romantic interest. Your pictures don’t do you justice, by the way, Holt.”

 

He couldn’t honestly tell if that was a twisted version of a pet name or mockery, but… it felt like something that’d be said after months or years of dating or being married when Lance was being snarky. _No- get those thoughts out of your head, Matthew, it’s the first date._

 

_“Really?”_ Matt faux coughed. “Maybe it’s just because of my _good looks_ or my _big muscles._ ” He did his best reenactment of an anime character- dramatic hand pose and all. Lance had no other reaction but to laugh. There was the meme he figured he’d get.

 

“See? No need to be nervous.”

 

“Blame the butterflies.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The art in this chapter was made by the other lovely person I got to work with, Mori (dyinginjapanese.tumblr.com)! Make sure to check them out too!!


	3. It's Easier Not To Correct People Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A beach date featuring sandcastles, water fights, and a discussion on Matt's music tastes.

After his date with Matt, pretty much every time his phone dinged at him he would launch for it (notably quicker than before.) His response to Matt’s messages were already typed before Lance even had the chance to fully read the message itself. But, don’t get him wrong… he wasn’t in love. 

 

Sure Matt was a jokester and a flirt,  _ but so was he.  _ And Matt was attractive. He needed to learn what taking care of his skin and hair was- Lance could see problems a mile away. But once he and Matt were dating he could do his duty as a boyfriend.  _ No- bad thoughts- bad thoughts.  _

 

His phone dinged.

 

Imagine his disappointment upon learning it was a spam email. Of course- Matt was in class right now. Why would he text Lance instead of focusing on his work or professor? Lance groaned, rolling over in his bed. This morning they were talking about a second date. So he was extra on edge. At any moment his phone could just beep and Matt could be at his and Hunk’s apartment ready to sweep Lance off his feet. 

 

_ “Oh my god… my car really had to break down?!” Lance yelled, looking at Blue, his car. It decided not to start for some reason… he wasn’t sure really.  _

 

_ “Lance- are you okay? What’s wrong?” Matt came rushing over, hearing the disgruntled yelling.  _

_ “No! My car just-” Lance kicked the wheel. “My car won’t start. I need to get home and do some homework and I didn’t need this!” _

 

_ Matt smiled, “It’s okay, calm down. I can look at it and see what’s wrong with it.” _

 

_ Lance crossed his arms, pouting. Matt was just the perfect guy wasn’t he. No, he shouldn’t be thinking like that- Matt was offering him help. He was just tired and wanted things to go well and now he was looking like a mess because of his damned car. Curses. “I… okay, thank you. Sorry about yelling I’m just stressed out.” _

 

_ He was met with Matt putting a hand on his shoulder, and a smile that made his heart beat just a little bit faster in his chest. Matt of course broke off to go open the hood of the car and see if he could spot anything obviously wrong. _

 

_ 30-ish minutes later and Matt had gotten the issue solved. Luckily they were by a place that sold repair tools. Lance offered to buy everything since Matt was already fixing his car, but then Matt paid and told Lance to consider it “a handy gift.” Also known as: Matt finishing with the repairs and setting the tool kit he’d bought in Blue’s trunk in case of anymore trouble.  _

 

_ The bastard even offered to drive Lance home just in case something else broke down he could fix it and Lance would get home safe. Lance accepted, of course, because he didn’t trust Blue at the moment, and spending more time with Matt couldn’t hurt. _

 

Matt knew where Lance lived thanks to Blue, so it wasn’t  _ completely  _ unrealistic for Matt to show up. Was it? Matt walked home so… did he even have a car? Lance was thinking way too much about him. It was easier to just sulk about being alone and then get dragged along with some date with Hunk and Shay. 

 

His phone dinged again.

 

Another email. This was  _ torture.  _ His own personal form of hell that was named Matthew Holt. So… what if Lance planned a date? It would give him something to do and they were only talking about a date. Maybe tomorrow, tomorrow was a Thursday, but that meant less people out on dates. 

 

Lance just laid in bed, staring at his ceiling as he proceeded to think about date ideas. One thing kept coming to his mind: the beach. There was a boardwalk by there too so they could get food. The beach was good- Lance liked it a  _ ton  _ and it would give him the perfect chance to show-off in “payment” for fixing his car. 

 

_ Just imagine Matt in a swimsuit-  _

 

Why was his brain cursing him with imagery? Matt… sure he’d only seen him in baggy clothing, but he probably was just tall and skinny. Nothing really to show off. Lance could win there. His legs were sculpted. He prided himself on never missing Leg Day. Which it was common knowledge that leg day was everyday, to never take no break. Except for Sunday, Sunday was when he got on the runway. 

 

The runway, of course, being the hallway when he put on a pair of heels he’d kept from when he did drag. It was a boost of confidence for the week so it became a tradition to strut while listening to ‘Legs’. Lance liked to call it his leg-acy. 

 

**McMattyMeme:** Hey

**McMattyMeme:** So I’m out of class

 

**BlueSharpShooter:** eyyy

**BlueSharpShooter:** Should we continue our convo from earlier ;)

**BlueSharpShooter:** I had som ideas

 

**McMattyMeme:** Do tell

 

**BlueSharpShooter:** What if it was a surprise????

**BlueSharpShooter:** Like uh,,,

**BlueSharpShooter:** U kno I come pick u up and take you somewhere

 

**McMattyMeme:** As long as you don’t take me to a secondary location

**McMattyMeme:** Everyone knows coming back from a secondary location your chances are slim to none

 

Lance was going to marry him.

 

* * *

 

Matt was given the instructions to wear a swimsuit and sunscreen. He had a guess, mostly involving the beach, as to what would happen. Lance pulled up in Blue, smiling. Matt could tell he was super excited to have planned this date and then be going on it. 

 

Lance graciously opened the car door for Matt, like the amazing host he was. “Hey.”

 

“Hey. How is Blue? Is she still working fine?”

 

Lance…  _ liked…  _ Matt, so his heart took a big hit that Matt’s first topic of conversation was his car. Not Lance planning the date or looking cute (he’d really tried too). Just… how’s Blue.

 

“She’s doing great! Thank you… again for that.” Think of it in another way, and Matt was concerned for Lance’s safety. Okay… Lance liked that thought. The version of things that said Matt was more concerned about his safety was a lot nicer to think about.

 

Matt smiled- the same damn smile that made Lance’s heart beat faster. “Good. I wouldn’t want her breaking down on the way to our date.”  _ Or maybe he was just more concerned with his own safety. But Matt wasn’t a bad guy- he couldn’t be that self centered… _

 

Lance nodded, pulling away from Matt’s apartment to head to the beach. He was more than excited for this date. After all… he planned it for them. It was going to be good- hell he even saved his latest paycheck so he could buy everything today. This was going to be the best date-

 

It was after merging onto the highway without anything being said that Lance turned up the radio (which was really just his phone on spotify), the song produced being Fumes by EDEN. A song he knew well and enjoyed singing to. But he didn’t expect Matt to sing along too… He hardly expected Matt to know his music. In their conversations about tastes Matt would describe his taste as “a weird mix of old rock and EDM.”

 

Yet here he was. Singing to music that couldn’t be described as of those genres. Liar. “I didn’t know you knew this song.”

 

He smiled, looking over at Lance and stopping his singing. “I do. I listen to a lot of music.”   
  


“What happened to mr. Old Rock and EDM?” 

 

“I... listen to… a variety of things. But mostly old rock and EDM.”

 

Lance side eyed him, shaking his head as they drove forward. Matt continued singing along, waving his hand out the window at the car moved like he was in a music video. The distance to the beach wasn’t that far but it made the trips that much more enjoyable and appreciated. Plus with the busy life created by school, he got to take them even less. 

 

Most of them time to third wheel. Yet here he was, on his own date going to the beach. It was like a dream. Plus he knew there wouldn’t be as many people thanks to the chill of early fall beginning to come through. As the song faded, so did the voice accompanying it. Lance looked over. “You’re a pretty good singer…”

 

Matt continued looking out the window, mostly to hide the red coming to his cheeks. “Thanks…”

 

They took an exit off the highway, practically looking over the water already. It was calm and Lance was right, there were fewer people than in the summer. There was a key to timing trips just right and he’d mastered it. It was one of many skills. 

 

The especially good thing about less people was more parking. It wasn’t even that cold either, just after September 22 people stopped coming and instead flocked to Starbucks for pumpkin spice lattes. Lance thought that those lattes belonged in the time after Halloween and Thanksgiving, but to each their own he thought. But this was about the beach, not his opinions on lattes. 

 

“Pretty impressive McClain.” Matt grabbed the bag he’d brought, hoping out of the car. 

Lance smiled. “I like to think I know what I’m doing when it comes to the beach. It’s a pattern. I mean… winter is too cold, spring is too wet, and summer is too hot and crowded. The best time of year is early fall where it’s warm but not like… hot or cold and there are still people so it’s not lonely. I’ve worked it into a science, man.”

 

Matt laughed. “You’re very passionate about the beach I guess…”  _ He was more in love than ever, surrounding the fact Lance had basically just gone on a mini “scientific” rant.  _

 

“I am very passionate about the beach.” Lance opened the trunk of Blue, pulling out the two bags he’d brought along, closing the trunk with his foot, ever so subtly showing off his legs and flexibility. He was only met with disappointment when he looked to see Matt already looking down at the beach and smiling. “Ready?” He walked up to him, showing no sign of the emotion. 

 

Matt nodded, following Lance as the shorter boy made his way down to the beach, already knowing the best spot and determined to claim it. He quickly pulled out a sheet, beginning to stack bags in each corner to keep it in place and putting beach towels on the floor. This was his science- how to best enjoy a day at the beach.

 

He took Matt’s bag, setting it in a corner and signalling Matt to sit down.  
  
“Wow… you set all this up so practiced.” Matt commented, watching him.

 

“It’s not that impressive, it’s just common sense. Sheet stops the sand, towels let you sit and dry off so you don’t soak the sheet, bags keep it in place and give you easy access.”

 

“But we only have 3 bags?”   
  


Lance pulled out a box with rocks inside of it. “Taken care of.” On the box was written ‘Beach Collection’, something Matt found amusing, but impressive. Finally, after the sheet was settled, Lance sat down, humming in satisfaction at the set up he’d so carefully crafted. He was finally able to watch the waves, smiling at how calm they were and being satisfied with the lack of feeling like he’d missed out on bringing his surfboard that day like he too often did.

 

“You know, there’s 4 boxes in that bag. If it’d taken more than the one you would’ve had a mission to go find rocks.” Lance laughed. “Like I said, there’s a system. But it usually only takes one.” He raised his finger, his eyes looking to Matt’s and seeing the amusement in them like a twinkling star. 

 

He was entranced, watching every movement and hearing every word. Eyes not searching for anything but taking in everything. Matt smiled, liking the things that he saw in those eyes and being at a loss of words for how they seemed to match the ocean.  _ Was it so weird to stare?  _ Maybe it was. Matt looked back, seeing the waves roll in the ocean. They weren’t too big and had most definitely died down by the time they reached shore. 

 

The silence properly allowed both of them to think. This was a second date so they were probably both serious of some sort. At least their texts made it think so. Lance had complained about his dual-parent situation bugging him about finding someone for years and when he came out as bi, it made it worse. His family had been quick to accept him but said, and he  _ does  _ quote, “That’s a good thing. Now you have twice as many options to find someone to bring home.” Matt had responded at the time by saying he really liked Lance, and if things for some reason didn’t work between them he’d be happy to be an imaginary boyfriend. 

 

That was something that Lance was appreciative for, but ended up deleting the response of ‘or you could just be my actual boyfriend’ about 6 times. He was afraid of moving things too fast and scaring off Matt, because he really liked having him around. 

Lance heard humming, looking over at Matt to see him smiling happily. He looked down, gently inching his hand to reach Matt’s. The brunette seemed hardly bothered when their hands touched. Instead a chuckle rose up as his eyes looked back to Lance’s. 

 

“If you wanted to hold my hand you could’ve asked.” Matt moved some, taking Lance’s hand fully and intertwining their fingers. 

 

“Maybe I was trying to be romantic.” 

 

Matt laughed again, smile even wider. “You’re adorable.” He brought Lance’s hand up, kissing his knuckles. “But I think I win on romantics.” His perspective of their relationship was mentally using the safety net of friends to assure himself that things weren’t going wrong. His parents didn’t bug him as much about finding a partner because they knew he’d always been much more academically inclined than socially. 

 

When they met Shiro and Allura for the first time they were over dramatic about him being able to make friends despite all his studies. It was mostly his grandparents visiting around thanksgiving that asked him about finding someone. Much like Lance’s family their reactions to him being pan was more or less… now you have more options. They threatened that if he didn’t manage to find someone by this thanksgiving they were going to set him up. Matt agreed to that, but hardly thought much of it until he was talking with Lance. 

 

He hoped that girl, Tal’Esh, would find someone. 

 

“Really? You won on romantics yet I am the one who brought you to the beach and initiated the hand holding.” Lance leaned in closer to Matt, shoulder to shoulder. “I think that you’re losing your mind, Holt.” 

 

Matt was growing seriously fond of his last name being used as a ‘pet name’ of sorts. Or maybe it wasn’t, but the way Lance said it every time with hidden love was enough to call it one. Certainly comparable to his mother screaming his full name when he was in trouble. His mouth formed itself into a smirk. “Did you plan for us to just sit here and hold hands then?”

 

Lance bit his lip. He hadn’t thought any farther than going to the beach and boardwalk with Matt. “I- hey it’s better than nothing. I could’ve just not planned anything at all.”

 

“That’s true.” Matt shrugged. “But then it wouldn’t be a very good date would it?” He shot a look at Lance, then breaking their hands to crawl over to where Lance had set his bag. “Luckily, I had a hunch we’d be going to the beach so…” Lance heard the clattering of plastic before Matt dumped a bunch of sandcastle building supplies out. “I brought some stuff.”

 

The brunette seemed so proud he’d prepared, smile over the brim with excitement. It was a moment of childish pride, the sandcastle supplies. Lance wasn’t going to deny him that moment. “So… what are you thinking then?” There were two lanes this could go. It was up to Matt to choose- or maybe he already had it in mind.

 

“Hmm-” He tapped his chin, clearly feigning his thought. “Sandcastle building contest!” The sheer excitement that came from the words told Lance all he needed to know. He needed a plan, and fast, because Matt had probably been thinking about it since they- or well Lance- planned the date. Even if the words weren’t enough, the fact that Matt reached into his bag, pulling out blue and orange handmade miniature flags was proof enough that this competition wasn’t just by chance.

 

“Alright, but I should warn you I grew up near the beach. I know my way around sandcastles.” Lance teased, taking hold of the blue flags Matt made. 

 

Matt simply smiled, not malicious at all, more so that his idea worked. “Well, then I have a challenge. 30 minutes to make the sandcastles and…” He looked up at the boardwalk, seeing an ice cream stand. “Loser has to buy ice cream.”

 

Lance nodded, offering his hand out. “It’s a deal.” Matt shook it, quickly grabbing his phone and turning on the timer for 30 minutes, then grabbing half of the supplies and going to move closer to the beach. Lance took the other half, following him. Of all the things Lance knew he was bad at involving the beach, it was sandcastles. Though he never got to see the finished thing. The waves always crept up on him or his siblings did. 

 

They both picked spots, Matt finding a branch and drawing a line, making a small hill and setting his phone on it. “Okay- 3… 2… 1… Go!“ He sprinted off to his side after starting the timer.

 

* * *

 

30 minutes later when the alarm went off, the competitive mood had definitely become prominent. They were quiet, both still conscious of being on a date and not wanting to shoot insults at each other. It was about 25 minutes in when Lance looked up. Matt was doing a pretty good job, but he’d thought he was doing better and he  _ really  _ wanted to buy Matt ice cream. After all, it was his date.

 

Lance looked at Matt’s castle again. It was better than his, definitely. “So… how do we judge them?” He looked up, eye’s meeting Matt’s. Matt looked between their sandcastles, humming. He brought a hand up to his chin for joke emphasis. Both of them knew that Lance’s looked worse, but Matt wasn’t going to outright say that to his date.

 

“I think we make a tally-” He grabbed a stick, drawing a T and writing L and M over the top of the sides. “We ask passerby, and then put a mark whenever someone picks. First person to 5?” He looked at to Lance. 

 

“Good idea.” Lance looked around the beach. “There doesn’t look like there’s more than 9 people excluding us anyway.” He laughed. The first person to walk by tallied for Matt’s- second- Matt’s. 

 

By the end of 5 minutes it was 4 - 2 in Matt’s favor. Lance entirely assumed the two was just because people didn’t want to pay attention to them and just picked the first one. The final passerby was this orange haired man. “Excuse me- sir!” Matt ran up to him. “Um… could you judge our sandcastles and pick the one you like more?” 

 

The man nodded. “Of course! The honorable Coran will judge the two of you!” He- Coran stroked at his mustache before dropping his bag and walking over to the sandcastles. He crouched down to the point he was on his stomach, inspecting with  _ excruciating  _ detail the sandcastles. Matt was trying to hide his snickering while Lance just decided to watch without saying anything. How often did a random passerby inspect sandcastles like it was his job. 

 

_ And it took a good 3 minutes.  _ After he stood up again, he looked between the two of them. “Well, it was a difficult battle! But i have to declare the winner as the orange castles!” Coran announced. It was extremely funny with the accent he had. “Congratulations good sir.” He reached his hand out.

 

Matt took it, shaking it proudly. Coran took his bag and continued to where he was heading as Matt put the final diagonal tally down. “Well.” He looked up to Lance. “I win.” Matt smiled, strutting back over to Lance. “Are you sure you  _ really  _ knew your way around sandcastles? Cause I just won!” 

 

It was worth every ounce of losing to see Matt happy- at least in Lance’s mind. “I lied- it was a threat.” Lance walked over to the water, washing the sand off himself. He was almost done and ready to head back up when Matt, the heathen, decided to splash him with water. “Matt!” He squawked.

 

There was an evil laughter coming from the Holt boy. Lance immediately splashed him back. Lance decided that if he had thrown the sandcastle game, he’d at least get to see Matt shirtless. Or with the shirt sticking to him. Before Matt even got a chance, Lance was attacking him with water full force.

 

Lance cackled as he dodged out of the way of Matt’s poor counterattacks. “Lance!” he yelled. His hair was drenched somehow, and his shirt more-so. “I cede to your power~ just don’t-don’t splash me!” He groaned, shaking water off his arm. “Now my shirt’s all wet…”

 

Nobody was complaining as Matt pulled the shirt over his head, peeling it and struggling to get it fully off. After he did he looked at it with disgust.  _ But Lance was having the time of his life.  _ Matt was shredded finer than cheese. For a nerdy boy that made a dating site, he was too hot. And that brought a blush straight to Lance’s cheeks.

 

“Now people can just ogle me…”

 

“ _ Now I can ogle you.” _

 

“Lance-!” Matt squeaked. “That’s not fair! Feel some sympathy!” 

 

Lance shrugged. “Sorry man. You won the sandcastle building contest.  _ And  _ I get to see just how hot you are. I can’t complain.” Lance began walking back up the beach. “Now  _ I guess  _ I have to buy you ice cream.” 

 

Matt chased after him. “You don’t seem too mad about that!” He gasped. “Lance- you didn’t purposefully lose just to buy me ice cream did you?” Lance just shrugged. “I can’t believe this! You could’ve just asked me!”

 

“You were so excited about sandcastles, I couldn’t just let you lose! Also what kind of date is that if I’m the one who set it up but you end up having to buy me stuff. That’s not fair.”

 

Matt pouted, grabbing his bag as Lance packed up. “You get ice cream too right? Like you aren’t just buying a single thing for me and calling it good. Because if you do that I’m going to buy you ice cream too.” 

 

“I’m buying myself ice cream too, yes.” Lance finished packing his bags. “Believe it or not I enjoy ice cream.” Matt frowned, Lance clearly seeing it as he looked at him. “Sorry. Let’s go put our bags away first. I’m not carrying two around, one filled with rocks.” He started on the way back to his car. 

 

It was a few minutes later when Lance was once more holding Matt’s hand, swinging them happily as they began walking on the boardwalk towards the ice cream stand. He was still in disbelief that Matt was  _ that hot _ . A few years ago and he would’ve been the cause of a Bi crisis. 

 

They stood in front of the ice cream stand, seeing a taller bearded man running it. “What ice cream do you like?”

 

“I’m a mint chip man.” Matt smiled. He’d had the fued many a time, but mint chip, to him, was the best.

 

“Alright.” Lance turned to the worker. “Excuse me. Can we get one mint chip cone and one strawberry?” The man nodded as he set about getting the cones. “See- it’s not that bad letting me buy you ice cream.”

 

Matt huffed. “It’s not bad, I’m just upset you threw the sandcastle building.” 

 

Lance set out the $5 for the two cones as the man came back and held them out. “Alright- one vanilla one strawberry for the couple.” Both of them flushed as they took their individual cones, saying their silent thank you’s and walking away. 

 

Every location they visited after that- the same pattern followed. 

 

“Oh! Winning the prize for your boyfriend?”   
  


“Actually he’s not my boyfriend…”

 

\--

 

“A ride on the ferris wheel is perfect for couples such as yourselves!” 

 

“We aren’t together…”

 

\-- 

 

“Beating your boyfriend’s highscore? Bold.”   
  


“Oh no- we’re not dating.”

 

They sat down together watching the sunset. Matt sighed. He was tired from the constant talking to strangers. Lance chuckled. “You know, you didn’t have to tell all those people we weren’t together. They just kept assuming.”

 

Matt looked up at him, big puppy dog eyes. “I just didn’t know how you felt about it and I have an irrational fear of people thinking I’m living a lie.”

 

“And what would that lie be in this case?”

 

“That I’m dating the best guy… like ever.” Matt smiled at him, deciding he was going to lean on Lance’s shoulder to watch the horizon and the waves.

 

Lance leaned just as much into him, putting his head over Matt’s. “Well… you know in some cases it’s easier not to correct people.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am??? So sorry it took this long for me to post this chapter. I did not mean to take a week. But I'm on fall break now so this'll be regularly updated! Thank you all so much for reading!


	4. Happy Birthd-

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You'd think with two people they could bake a cake. It goes to different places...

Matt felt terrible. Because Lance had planned their second date he was supposed to plan the third, but he completely forgot about his mother’s birthday coming up and that he was in charge of the cake. He apologized about a million times over the phone, despite Lance reassuring him it was okay to cancel; that it was his mom he should focus on. Matt invited Lance over to just come hang out if he wanted to. Lance, of course, accepted.

 

Lance still thought of it as a date. He cleaned up nice, but tried his best to be casual and just wore his favorite jacket over normal clothes. Just to… impress Matt. Show up looking nice- it could be a house date. A date didn’t have to be strolling on the beach or sitting in a coffee shop… crashing Matt’s apartment and watching him back worked perfect. 

 

He knocked on the door, nervous, but trying his best to look casual. Matt opened, smiling, greeting him with a hug. “Hey! Look who it is! Sharpshooter Lancey-Lance.”

 

Lance smiled, cheeks tinting red. “The one the only. How’s the cake going?”

 

Matt gestured to his apron. “I haven’t even started yet. As you can tell by the crisp, pristine clothes I still have. They’ll be ruined by the end of the process, just like every other time.”

 

Lance laughed, “Maybe I should help. I’m an  _ excellent  _ baker.” 

 

“I- y-you don’t have to.”

 

“Yes I do! C’mon baking together is romantic!” Lance grabbed Matt’s hands, holding them as if he was trying to transfer his excitement. 

 

Matt formed a tight line with his mouth, nodding, before going to grab another apron. He kept a lot of them… just in case. Also because if he cooked 3 meals a day he needed 3 aprons. That was the life of a disaster human. Matt walked over, offering the apron to Lance. “If you’re going to join me you need the uniform.”

 

Lance quickly put it on after taking his jacket off and setting it on the couch. He made a saluting motion. “Aye aye! All set to go.” He walked into the kitchen, leaning on the counter. “So what do you want me to do?”

 

“Uh- here.” Matt grabbed a recipe book, opening it to a bookmarked page. “Can you help measure stuff? I always mismeasure and then nothing works out…” the brunette admitted, his hand finding its way to the back of his neck. Lance noticed one thing- Matt had long hair. Lance pulled a hair tie from his pocket (that he kept in there for emergency skin care or makeup.) He reached to Matt’s hair, grabbing the strands covering his face and pulling them back into a loose bun. The boy on the receiving end flushed, taken aback by the lasting closeness of them

 

“Perfect. I will now get to measuring.” 

 

Matt busied himself with preparing the oven and mixing things together as Lance got things measured for him. It was actually looking really good for once and he had managed not to spill the bowl on the floor and have to restart yet. They’d turned the radio on, dancing and singing as they ‘worked.’

 

It was relaxing for both parties. This wasn’t technically a date so they didn’t need to worry about impressing the other. Lance still did- but a lot less than usual. Matt had dressed… appropriately for the occasion of baking but that was about all the effort he chose to put in. After all, Allura  _ did  _ tell him that he didn’t need to try as hard once he welcomed Lance into his home, and here they were, baking, together, in Matt’s apartment. Hard to believe, I know. 

 

Everything went off without incident until Lance accidentally got some of the batter on his finger. Just one of those drops that fell while stirring. But instead of choosing to try it, he reached forward, wiping it on Matt’s nose, smiling sweetly. Matt scoffed, getting his own little bit and placing it on Lance’s nose. 

 

Allura  _ was right _ in multiple senses. 1. Matt didn’t need to try as hard. 2. It was all downhill from there.  

 

First, it was Lance actually taking a purposeful dip of the batter to wipe on Matt’s cheek. Matt only returned the favor, except his palm and wiping it on Lance’s forehead.  _ Too close to the hair for comfort.  _

 

Lance’s retaliation was grabbing a spoon, taking a scoop.  _ “You’re on Holt.”  _ He hissed before flinging the batter towards Matt. The latter of which was quick to blocking with a paper plate, but it wouldn’t last for long. Matt did have a hold on the bowl, so using his brightly colored whisk his only option was to start flinging batter at Lance. He started it!

 

_ “It is so on, McClain.” _

 

Neither found the appropriate cake related insults to throw, instead both replaced them with grunts one might find in a Legend of Zelda game while smashing pots or battling enemies. Minus the smashed pots… or enemies. 

 

Lance grabbed a big spoon, managing to fill it just enough to get a good shot at the Holt in front of him. 

 

Matt tried to throw the bowl at Lance- not aggressively- but was blocked by  _ expert _ ladling defence work. “I see you’ve studied the spoon!” Matt called out.

 

“While you were being heterosexual, I studied the ladle!”

 

Matt grabbed a salad spoon, throwing the bowl onto the counter and rushing at Lance to try and disarm him- spoon v. spoon. Each treating the fight as if it were a medieval sword battle to win over the love of the fair princess. Parries, blocks, and thrusts of the spoons being used as if they weren’t actually just common household utensils. Paper plates being their only shields. Truthfully it was a sight to behold. Funfetti cake batter dripping onto the floor as they battled. At any opportune moment, one would attempt to find batter on their body or nearby surface, collect it on their hand(s) and try and get it on the other person. 

 

When Matt slipped, falling on his ass, Lance didn’t laugh, instead continuing to fight. Matt’s only choice being to defend himself against an oncoming barrage of batter, ladle, and paper plate.  _ It was a very serious fight. _

 

Like siren song, Lance looked up briefly to notice the bowl of batter calling to him. Sprinkles seeming to speak. He knew what must be done while Matt was still at disadvantage. Lance threw his ladle and plate down, Matt seeing and looking up with wide eyes. 

 

“It is time we end this.”

 

“Lance- you don’t have to do this.”

 

“There is no other way Matthew.”

 

“No- please! I-I’ll do anything!”

 

_ “Then perish.” _

 

Lance had taken the bowl in hand, standing triumphant over Matt as he turned the bowl upside down, letting the contents fall into Matt’s head, drenching him in rainbow sprinkles and regret. No apron could save Matt from his vanilla scented fate. He laid, defeated, on the floor, wiping the batter lazily from his face. At least it was going to the sides instead of his eyes…

 

“You okay?” Lance crouched down next to Matt, a now empty bowl in his hands still. 

 

“The cake has consumed me, Lance. I see nothing now but my destiny to be baked and enjoyed.” 

 

“Sorry, Matt, the oven isn’t preheated yet..”

 

Matt grumbled, sitting up some because the longer he let batter get in his hair the more time it’d take to get out. Lance looked at the bowl, sighing with a pout, “There’s nothing left… and here I thought I’d get to try some.”

 

He could feel the annoyed glare from Matt being stared into his skull but he didn’t exactly mind.

 

“Lance, there’s still some on the bowl. And your hands. And pretty much everywhere in this kitchen.”

 

Lance had been inching closer to Matt, setting the bowl on the floor next to the unsuspecting boy. “Nah. That’s too easy.”

 

“Supposedly so it making a cake.” He threw his hands to the air- “Happy Birthd-”

 

Matt was cut off by Lance’s lips meeting his own. Lance- Lance was actually kissing him.  _ Holy shit. _ It was probably the batter covering both their mouths, but Lance tasted like heaven. His eyes fluttered closed, just taking in the experience. He was soft- his lips were soft- he tasted like heaven- and he’d made the first move- something Matt never thought would happen.  _ But he was sure as hell glad for it.  _

 

By the time Lance pulled back, neither had any breath left. However, Matt managed to finish his sentence.

 

“-ay mom... “ He was at a loss for words (and he sure as hell wasn’t about to just blurt out “thank you!”)

 

A smirk adorned the other’s features. “It’s a shame all of that batter went to waste… it tasted good.” Lance ran a hand through his hair, trying his best to look cool and suave as he got to watch Matt falling to pieces and turning to a blushing mess in front of him.  _ The best form of payback. _

 

* * *

 

 

25 minutes later and Matt stepped foot back into the kitchen, towel covering his hair. “Uh- thanks for cleaning up by the way. I would’ve done it after my shower plus you’re kind of my guest… so… “

 

Lance smiled up at him. “Hey, it’s no problem! You let me use your sink to clean up and offered me a clean set of clothes… I mean even if this sweater can only stay on one of my shoulders it’s better than having funfetti on me.”

 

Matt nodded. “Yeah.” He pulled the towel from his head, offering it to Lance. He proceeded to smile, trying to  _ actually  _ smile and not just smirk. “So, crazy thought, I know, but how’s round two sound?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was honestly my favorite chapter to write and.. really the cake batter scene was why I wrote this whole fic- just leading up to that one moment. (And while I know this would be a good ending point, we still have the final chapter :))


	5. It's Easier Not To Correct People Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for a Halloween Party

Two days before Halloween had Lance been “tipped off” about Matt’s costume. A giant inflatable Pikachu mascot suit that he was quote-on-quote making some modifications to. Lance had known Matt for something like a month- month and a half now and anything the Holt was making modifications to seemed dangerous.

 

Still…

 

Lance spent the past two days sewing- between Joann’s and his sewing machine table. Because he had a plan. A plan which would ruin all of Matt’s plans, but he didn’t know about Matt’s plans, so it didn’t matter too much.

 

* * *

 

 

The entire time that Matt was working on the costume (a.k.a making a hole for his face so he could be called ‘Mattachu’) he was sitting in his room, on his bed, with his best friend and his boyfriend. It was still a week until Halloween. Lance had told Matt that his family would probably set him up if he didn’t show up with someone for Thanksgiving, which had gotten Matt thinking. He was going to officially ask Lance to be his boyfriend- but after Halloween because he was a Holt, and the Holt’s took Halloween seriously.

 

Matt, however, didn’t have much free time, so the free time he didn have he spent with the costume. Adam and Shiro were just nice enough (and bribed with food) to come over. They were practically sitting in each other’s laps while they watched him. “So, Matt why was it so urgent we come over? You made it sound like you were dying and the most you could do to yourself right now is stab yourself with a needle.” Adam made the remark.

 

“Because you guys are the only couple I know who asked each other out properly?”

 

Adam laughed, _loud._ “If by properly you mean we were in a Wendy’s bathroom and he slipped on some water and as I offered him a hand he asked me to be his boyfriend, then sure.”

 

Shiro crossed his arms. “Well if you hated it so much, why’d you say yes?”  


“Uh, because I love you, duh.” Adam kissed Shiro’s cheek, gaining a laugh from Matt. They were cute.

 

“Still- I like this one boy and I don’t know how I should ask him out… He’s really cute and funny and- we’ve been on like 5-6 dates by now. I don’t want him to think I’m not interested… or lose interest in me.”

 

Adam raised an eye at him. “First of all, if he’s agreed to go on that many dates with you of all people, I’d say he’s pretty interested. Second, I need to know how much exactly you’ve done- Like have you guys fuc-”

 

“ _Adam._ ” Shiro pinched him.

 

Matt was sufficiently red now- but he was also laughing. “Uh- we’ve made out a couple times, and held hands- and cuddled. But like… that’s it. I mean he’s stayed the night here but that was when the cuddling happened.”

 

There was a moment of silence that passed as Adam and Shiro thought. They whispered to each other for a moment before turning to look at Matt. Shiro spoke. “Okay- we’ve thought it out. You two are both flirts from what I’ve heard, and the best way to do this is get a bunch of set pickup lines, and ask them getting more suggestive until in one of them you ask him to be your boyfriend. You started off with a shitty pick-up line, so take the next step with a better one.”

 

“That’s not a half bad idea… Thanks guys.”

 

“Just don’t deliver the damn line in a Wendy’s bathroom.”

 

Matt laughed again. “Okay- okay promise I won’t.”

 

* * *

 

When it really came down to it, Halloween was Matt’s favorite day. Not because he was born on Halloween- no- because some of his best memories as a kid were Halloween day in school when he’d walk in in the equivalent of a one-person Jaeger he’d spent hours with his mom in the garage building, despite his grubby hands when he was 5, she let him help.

 

He toned down a bit when he got older (mostly because he was broke and didn’t have the money for them after conventions were paid for for the year.) Of course, Matt always made a new costume and modified it still. But since he was a kid and couldn’t trick or treat to show the costume off, he went with his sister to a party. Neither of them liked parties, they just liked showing people up with intricate costumes. From what he’d heard, Pidge was going all out because she’d asked their parents for help.

 

She knocked on his door, him opening it, and seeing a floating pyramid. “Uh- wha-”  


Pidge stuck her head out of the top. “Hey. Ready _Mattachu?_ ” Matt frowned. His darling sister really had gone all out. And though he did love his ‘Mattachu’ he didn’t like her showing him up too, because for fuck’s sake Pidge had made a floating pyramid to sit in. How was he supposed to match up to that? He didn’t even have time to change.

 

“Don’t mock me you air gremlin. I’m just having fun on a budget.” He crossed his

arms- or made an attempt at it. This costume was not made for expressive posing.

 

“Whoever said I was mocking you? I just applied emphasis to a word to prove a point. But really, we should get going before all of the good snacks Hunk makes are gone.” She turned, the robot turning too and she floated off. Matt groaned following after her after locking his door.

 

The party was thrown by Allura and Romelle- they spent weeks planning and decorating in preparation. Matt had gone over to their house a few times, and there were already streamers and lanterns up. That was two weeks ago. He didn’t know Hunk too well- he’d talked to him a few times and seen him in his engineering class he inevitably dropped out of, but from what he knew he was an extremely nice guy and a better cook at that.

 

Pidge and him were better friends, although Pidge never talked about her friends so… it was a bit awkward at times when they knew way too much information about him and he knew a name.

 

They walked into the bustling party, it having already attracted more than a few patrons. Pidge floated off somewhere while Matt just grabbed a cup, laughing at the little pumpkin face on it. Matt hummed, getting some punch and taking his place near the door, waiting for Shiro and Adam or Allura or Romelle to show up so he could just follow them around.

 

Matt was dancing along a bit to the music playing when he fet hands wrap around his neck. “Hey Mattachu- I choose you.” He heard the voice, jumping for turning back with a smirk.

 

“Lance-” He was turned around and Lance pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “-hey.” Matt finished, leaning against him. “I’m surprised you knew what I was.”

 

Lance laughed. “Well it was pretty obvious. I know how you act and I figured once I saw the giant pikachu and your face it’d be something weird. But… I like it.”

 

“So what are you then?” Matt could barely look down, practically immobilized by the suit now that Lance was pressed against him.

 

Lance smirked. “I decided to last minute DIY, and luckily I was playing Pokemon GO when I was walking by Joann’s so-” He backed away, throwing his arms up with a flourish. “Tah-dah!”

 

Matt laughed. “It looks amazing.” He stepped closer to Lance. “Would you choose me as your starter?”

 

“Nah- because you’re a legendary.” Lance wrapped his arms back around Matt. “I’d have to go on an adventure- collect a master ball- and then search far and wide just to find you. But I’d do it without hesitation.” That sent a bright red flush up to Matt’s cheeks and whole face.

 

He leaned into Lance, trying to hide his face.

 

“Cool couples costume guys- lot better than the cheesy ones I’ve already seen. Shiro and Adam are doing a bra- How they walk together I have no clue.” Rolo raised his cup, taking a drink.

 

Lance knew about Matt and his weird thing about correcting people, he was about to open his mouth to say something but- “Thanks dude. Cool pilot thing you’ve got going on.”

 

Rolo nodded, then just walking away to go to whatever it was he did. Lance raised an eye at Matt. “You didn’t correct him?”

 

Matt smiled at Lance. “Like you said, it’s a lot easier not to correct people. Besides- it’s kind of like a compliment. People think our costumes are good and we’re a cute couple.”

 

“Oh- that’s pretty-” Lance returned his smile. “Yeah, it’s a pretty good compliment. We would make a cute couple.” Matt looked at him, staring into his eyes. Lance laughed. “You look like you wanna say something?”

 

“No- I-” Adam did say to make it natural in one of Matt’s freakout conversations. “Actually, yeah. Hey, uh, Lance? Do you want to-“ Matt was internally screaming at himself. He couldn’t ask like that. “I know you have your family Thanksgiving coming up next month, and I was planning to say something after Halloween, but thinking about it now, do you- would you allow me to come embarrass myself in front of them as your boyfriend? We already have a couples costume for today too so-“ Matt laughed awkwardly in disbelief at himself. _He actually just did that._

 

Lance was just as shocked as he was, jaw dropped. He had not expected Matt to ask in any universe. He thought it’d be him. Lance closed his mouth, lips forming a smile as he lunged forward, arms wrapping around Matt and their lips meeting in a long passionate kiss. They held onto each other for a good few seconds before Lance pulled back, looking lovingly into his eyes. “Only if I can embarrass myself in front of your family.”

 

“Any time you’d like.”

 

“You guys are disgusting.”

 

“Katie, be quiet! We were having a moment! You ruined it!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello I am a mess. This wasn't actually planned for Halloween but things worked out well... It's shorter than some of the other chapters, but to be fair I originally wanted a clean 12k... and instead we got more. Anyway, thank you all so much for reading- until my next project (and trust me it's coming soon)!

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter 1 of this amazing project is posted. I was so excited to be apart of something so wonderful for a ship that gets hardly enough content. The art seen in this chapter was made by one of the lovely artists I got to work with, Kimin (lostkimin.tumblr.com) and you should totally go check her out!! I'll be posting a new chapter every day!! \ (-3-) /<3


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